The Uninspired Pages Found in the Bible
How many of us realize that there are uninspired pages in the Bible whose authors are unknown. As surprising as this may sound to many, there are indeed two pages that were not inspired.
These uninspired pages were not written by any of the prophets or by the disciples. The first page reads “The Old Testament” and is placed just before Gen 1:1 and the other reads “The New Testament” and is placed before Mat 1:1.
The intelligent reader knows that neither had Mosheh written the page “The Old Testament”, nor had Mattityahu written the page “The New Testament”.
So, who inserted these uninspired pages in the Scripture and why?
And to begin our study on the matter we need to note that when the apostle says that all Scripture is inspired by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, and for instruction, by “all Scripture” he meant the Hebrew Scripture, from Genesis to Malachi (see Mat 22:29, Act 17:10-11, 2Pe 3:15-17); what is known today as “The New Testament” had not been even written yet.
In the beginning
In the following, we will explain what one needs to know about the division of the Scripture into “Old Testament” and “New Testament”. And even though this topic seems to be exhausted, we will have something to say.
And a good departure point, to describing the controversy of the two uninspired pages in the Bible, is to explain another controversy found in the Epistle to the Hebrews.
The Hebrew Shaul vs. the Greek Paul
The apostle Shaul (Paul) is the one whose words in his letter to the Hebrews might have “inspired” the theologians to insert the two pages into the Scripture. Their argument? Paul divided the Bible into “The Old Covenant” and “The New Covenant”. Their source? The Epistle to the Hebrews.
We read from King James’ version of the Bible thus (notice the word covenant in italic),
“But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:” (Heb 8:6-8 KJV)
When reading our verses here one might come to the conclusion that, according to the KJV translation, Paul was teaching the Hebrews that fault had been found in the Covenant at Sinai (the first covenant), hence the necessity for a better covenant had come (the second covenant). But first the former command needed to be set aside because of its weakness and unprofitableness (see also Heb 7:17-18). This is difficult, for the verse there says: “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second”.
Paul concluded that because the second covenant had been called “new”, He (Elohim) had made the first old which was near disappearing (Heb 8:13).
What shall we say? Paul sounds straight forward in KJV. These words themselves beg for an explanation.
This indeed sounds peculiar as we have not read anywhere that the Covenant at Sinai has been declared faulty. So, that compels us to consider the question: if that is the intention of the apostle, namely, to divide the Scripture into two separate parts, why is that not made explicit in his other letters but here in Hebrews?
It is not in the scope of this article to cover all problems with such an interpretation of the apostle words, but we still have something to say in response. And we will begin with Shimon Kefa’s warning,
Do your utmost to be found by him in peace, spotless and blameless, and reckon the patience of our Master as deliverance, as also our beloved brother Shaul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him, as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these matters, in which some are hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the other Scriptures. You, then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the delusion of the lawless, (2Pe 3:14-17)
Now, as we are forewarned by the apostle, we will do well to compare the KJV translation of Shaul’s words to The Hebraic-Roots Version Scriptures, Revised Edition, translated out of the original Hebrew and Aramaic by James Scott Trimm. We will read the same verses,
And behold, now He has obtained a priesthood which is more excellent from that which had been made, to be more excellent than the first, which is upheld on better promises from the first ones. For if the first was without smiting, we would not have to seek a place for others. For He found blame with them saying: Behold the days are coming says YHWH, that I will make a renewed covenant with the House of Yisrael, and with the House of Y’hudah. (Heb 8:6-8 HRV)
We should notice that in HRV, we find a new reading of our verses, despite the subtle differences.
In Hebrew, where Shaul says: “He has obtained a priesthood which is more excellent from that which had been made, to be more excellent than the first”, it is quite obvious that he is referring to Mashiach to whom it is said: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Malkitsedek” (Psa 110:4).
Note: the Hebrew word “Malkitsedek” could be translated either as a personal name, or as a noun: malkitsedek, a righteous king.
Then, Shaul makes the point in the same context, namely, that because “Elohim found blame with them”, that is, in the first priesthood, there was the necessity to “seek a place for others”, that is, new priests who would serve according to the order of the righteous king, Mashiach.
Thus translated and interpreted, the Hebrew text from verse 8 through 13 (about the Renewal of the Covenant promised in Jer 31:31-34) follows naturally in the context of the new priesthood according to the order of the righteous king, and not according to the order of Aharon (Heb 7:11).
As we explained in other occasions, the original plan of Elohim was to form a priesthood out of the first-born of Israel. But after the sin of the golden calf, this privilege was taken from them and given to the Levites, who stood behind Mosheh.
But the Levites were not without blemish either; they failed to live up to the standards of the Torah. Therefore, what Shaul implies in his epistle is that the Renewed Covenant requires a new priesthood according to a new order.
In other words, in Hebrew where we read “first” it refers to the Levitical priesthood, and the “more excellent than the first”—refers to the new priesthood after the order of Malkitsedek, as this is the entire context of Chapters 7 and 8.
As for the rendering “Renewed Covenant” or more properly “Covenant of Renewal”, refer to the article The Renewed Covenant vs the New Covenant – Time of Reckoning Ministry. There, we also explained that Renewed Covenant is not about its new substance but about its new location, namely, in the hearts and souls of the people as it was meant to be from the beginning.
So, in the Hebrew manuscript there is no indication that the Torah had been changed, let alone annulled, only that the commands are repeated, as we read in Hebrew,
It is saying that according to which there is a repetition of the office of the priesthood, of necessity it is saying there is a repetition of the Torah. (Heb 7:12) The Greek reads: “a change also of the law”.
We must therefore view this verse as telling us that this repetition is all part of the renewal of the Covenant which is also the essence of the Book of Hebrews.
So, how did we get to the idea that apostle Shaul rejected the “Old Covenant” and replaced it with a new one?
We have already noticed that in KJV the word covenant is in italic. According to the practice of the KJV translators, this means that covenant is not in the Greek text but inserted into English for more “clarity”.
Why did the translators feel it was necessary to insert the word “covenant” into the text as this would not agree with the context employed here? The answer: religious bias.
The translators have “fixed” the text for us so that we should not think that the Covenant of YHVH is everlasting.
In other words, if we take the italicized covenant out of the text, we will come pretty close to the message of the original Hebrew. And this makes much more sense for a Hebrew to write a letter to the Hebrews in Hebrew, and not in Greek.
Therefore, did Shaul err in Hebrews and in his other writings when he said, “A fault was found in the first covenant” and “Be not circumcised”? Not at all: for Yeshua upheld the covenant and the Torah and was circumcised. Moreover Yeshua said, “I have not come to diminish a single word of the Torah of Mosheh, not even one letter; but to fulfill all his words” (Mat 5:17). Refer to the source for the complete quote: The Sermon on the Mount Few Want to Hear – Time of Reckoning Ministry.
The real Shaul knew that his teachings were being twisted and that he was misunderstood as teaching against the Torah and wrongly accused of teaching things that he had not said or taught (see Rom 3:8). When Shaul arrived in Jerusalem, he went to great lengths to prove that this was not true (Act 21:20-26).
In order to prove that this was nothing more than a slander, the apostle took the nazarite vow and went to the Temple to bring his offerings, according to the Torah (Act 21:22-26, Num 6:13-21), thus refuting his slanderers (Act 21:24).
The Torah observant apostle did many deeds to prove that he both kept and taught the Torah. He circumcised Timothy (Act 16:1-3), took the nazarite vow (Act 18:18, Act 21:17-26), taught and observed the appointed times of YHVH such as: the Unleavened Bread (Act 20:6; 1Co 5:6-8; 1Co 11:17-34), Shavuot (Act 20:16; 1Co 16:8), Yom Kippur (Act 27:9).
Shaul did not offend the Torah or the Temple in anything at all (Act 25:8). Neither had he done anything against his people or the traditions of the fathers (Act 28:17).
The apostle just plainly says that “the Torah is holy and the commandment is holy and just and good” (Rom 7:12).
It had never come to his mind to nullify the Torah and the Covenant and replace it with “new” one, but on the contrary with his works, he maintained the Torah (Rom 3:31).
Because “New Testament” misguided believers have rejected the Torah of YHVH, they do not fully understand the significance of what Shaul was doing in his ministry. About this Shimon Kefa warned us that untaught and unstable “teachers” were twisting Shaul’s words to make it appear “truthful”.
The end of era of prophecy
The moral and religious condition of Israel was in decline. Sixty years had passed since the first return of Israel from the land of captivity under Zerubbavel until the prophecy in Malachi.
The name Malachi, as referred to the prophet of YHVH to form a beautiful wordplay in Hebrew, means “my messenger”. We read from the prophecy in Malachi,
Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Master you are seeking comes to His Temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, he is coming, said Yehovah of hosts. (Mal 3:1)
The word מַלְאָךְ mal’ak is used twice here to refer to two different persons. מַלְאָךְ mal’ak is derived from an unused root meaning to dispatch as a deputy or an ambassador; hence, mal’ak means a messenger. This word is always translated as “angel” (Greek ἄγγελος): a word taken from the Greek mythology.
In Mal 3:1, the first use of mal’ak, in the context of Mal 4:5-6, refers to an earthly messenger, namely, Eliyahu (Elijah) who will prepare the way before YHVH. The identity of the prophet Eliyahu with the messenger YHVH would send before Him, is universally acknowledged.
In the Apostolic Writings, the prophet Eliyahu was indeed sent in the person of Yochanan. Even before his birth he was announced to his father by Gavriel as the promised Eliyahu who would turn many to YHVH and go before Him in the power of the prophet to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers. See also Isa 40:3, Mat 3:1-12, Mar 1:2-8, and Luk 3:2-18.
The second use of מַלְאָךְ mal’ak in our verse refers, however, to a heavenly being, the one whose coming no one is able to stand when he appears, called in Mal 3:2-3 “the Messenger of the Covenant”. This messenger of the Covenant is further describe as “the fire of a refiner”, who will refine YHVH’s people as gold and silver are refined, so that they can bring their offerings in the Temple. Concerning the identity of this messenger of YHVH, refer to the articles The Messenger of His Face and How Torah was Given to Israel and The Revelation of the Messenger of YHVH – Time of Reckoning Ministry.
This messenger of the Covenant assured the people in Mat 11:10 and Luk 7:27 that Yochanan was indeed the messenger announced by Malachi and the Eliyahu who was to come first and restore all things.
The day of the coming of the messenger of the Covenant is described in Mal 4:1 as a day that will be like a burning furnace, when all the wrongdoers will be consumed like stubble is consumed.
Malachi the prophet kept on writing the words of YHVH likening the messenger of the Covenant to “the sun of righteousness” that will rise with healing in his wings, alluding to the tzitzit (fringes) on the four corners of the garments.
Note: the Hebrew word for “sun” is שֶׁמֶשׁ shemesh derived from an unused root meaning to be brilliant, hence “sun”. שֶׁמֶשׁ shemesh is closely related to the word שְׁמַשׁ shemash through the idea of activity implied in daylight; hence to serve. Notice these two words are spelled identically differing only in the vowels, which are implied. With that said, שֶׁמֶשׁ shemesh could be alternatively translated as servant or minister, i.e. “servant of righteousness” rather than “sun of righteousness”, which makes more sense. We find in Joe 2:23 a similar expression “teacher for righteousness” in the sense that a teacher is a servant to his students.
The admonition not to forget the Torah
The prophecy in Malachi concludes with the admonition,
Remember the Torah of Mosheh, My servant, which I commanded him in Horev for all Israel, even decrees and judgments. (Mal 4:4)
The admonition, “Remember the Torah of Mosheh”, forms the conclusion not only of the last section of the prophecy (Malachi 3:13-4:3), but of the entire Book of Malachi. In the context of the preceding verse, the admonition is best understood to mean: “Remember what Mosheh has written in the Torah concerning the Messiah and his judgment”.
Thus, the prophecy admonishes the faithful to lay to heart and observe the Torah of YHVH, for this is its real essence, as Mashiach himself stated it in his sermon on the mountain.
Thus, the conclusion of the prophecy in Malachi invokes the laws and the judgments in the Torah, as it is written,
And now, Israel, listen attentively to the laws and the judgments which I am teaching you to do, so that you live, and shall go in and possess the land which Yehovah Elohim of your fathers is giving you. (Deu 4:1)
Malachi’s last words mark the closing of the era of prophecy. He ends his final message to remember the Torah by stating that the great and terrible day of YHVH is coming, preceded by the arrival of Eliyahu (Mal 4:5-6).
On that day, Eliyahu’s role would not be to overthrow nations, but to reconcile the children with their parents. This part of the prophecy had been already fulfilled through the person of Yochanan.
However, the prophecy has its second layer when Eliyahu will come in person to overthrow the nations, as we have explained this in the Time of Reckoning series The Revelation from YHVH Archives – Time of Reckoning Ministry.
With this calling to remembrance of the Torah of Mosheh, the prophecy is brought to a close. After Malachi, no other prophet arose in Israel, and therefore, no one should claim the office of prophet today.
The bridge over two epochs that was destroyed
Between the prophecy in Malachi and its fulfilment in Matthew four hundred years were destined to pass to connect in one the entire Scripture: from Genesis to Revelation.
The closing statement in the prophecy in Malachi “Remember the Torah of Mosheh” is the bridge that connects the entire era of the Torah and prophecy with the Apostolic Writings. The Apostolic Writings, known by the misnomer “New Testament”, begins with the genealogy of the messenger of the Covenant Malachi wrote about. We read,
The book of the genealogy of Yeshua Mashiach, son of David, son of Avraham: (Mat 1:1)
The translators and theologians have invented a contradiction in the Scripture. Moreover, those interpreters, who advance this view of dividing the Scripture into two parts—an “obsolete covenant” and a “better covenant” for the gentiles, are under the necessity of explaining why Elohim always calls His Law and Covenant everlasting and His beloved servant David desired his heart to be perfect in His laws so that he would not be put to shame (Psa 119:80).
Or, as David’s son admonished us to hear the conclusion of the entire matter:
Fear Elohim and guard His commands, for this for all mankind! (Ecc 12:13)
It is true, of course, as we are all aware, that if Elohim indeed had the plan to retire His Covenant with a better one, He would have made it explicit through the prophets, as the prophet said,
For the Master Yehovah does no matter unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. (Amo 3:7)
As natural it is to read together the last verses of Mal 4:4-6 with Mat 1:1, the fulfilment of the last prophecy has been thus obscured by something that is not supposed to be there: the page “New Covenant” or “New Testament”.
The New Testament page inserted just before the genealogy of Yeshua Mashiach: one of the two uninspired pages in the Bible that obscured the prophecy in Malachi.
How many generations have been misled to think in terms of division because of [intentional] mistranslations such as in Hebrews, for instance, that made the people think in terms of “old” and “new” ? Indeed many.
But, when the bad translations are straighten out; when the false theologies are taken out; when the words “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah” are believed to be true, then the last two leaves of the fake “tree of knowledge” will naturally fall out, and we will read one Scripture as it was meant to be in the beginning.
It behooves, therefore, each one of us to acquire as much insight into the matter as possible, because this is not a trivial issue.
To conclude this study in the proper context, we will read anew the correctly bridged prophecy concerning the coming of the prophet Mosheh bade us to await, Yeshua haMashiach.
Remember the Torah of Mosheh, My servant, which I commanded him in Horev for all Israel, even decrees and judgments. Behold, I am sending you Eliyahu the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of Yehovah. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with utter destruction. The book of the genealogy of Yeshua Mashiach, son of David, son of Avraham: … (Mal 4:4-6—Mat 1:1) … The beginning of the Good News of Yeshua Mashiach, the son of Elohim. As it has been written in the Prophets. Behold, I send My messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you, a voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of Yehovah, make His paths straight”. (Mar 1:1-3)
When these verses are read in a sentence, it is inevitable for an unbiased Hebrew reader to associate them with the very statement Yeshua made in his sermon that we should not even let the thought come to mind that he came to do away with the Torah of his Father in heaven.
Having now completed our exposition in detail, if we take a survey of the substance of the entire matter, we need to conclude with the message that was obscured in the Christian Bibles but now completely restored: “Remember the Torah of Mosheh, for Mashiach is coming”.
Knowledge known to only a few will die out. If you feel blessed by these teachings of Time of Reckoning Ministry, help spread the word!
May we merit seeing the coming of our Mashiach speedily in our days!
Navah